1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera unit suitably applied to an imager section of, e.g., a videoconference system, and more particularly to a camera unit used in combination with a display section.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, videophones and videoconference systems have become popular which allows people to exchange not only sound but also images via communication. Such systems, enabling communicators to talk in real time while viewing each other's face displayed on a monitor, for example, provide an advantage of “realism” with which a person can have a conversation even with others in remote places.
However, if a camera section that takes an image of a communicator is attached atop a display section that displays video of the other communicator, a problem arises that their eyes do not meet, or they lose eye contact. Namely, when a communicator P1 sets his/her eyes in the middle of the display section, trying to view the other party (a communicator P2), an image of the communicator P1 in that position is taken diagonally from above. Meanwhile, on a screen the communicator P2 is viewing, video of the communicator P1 is displayed whose image is taken diagonally from above. If the communicator P1 wishes to send the communicator P2 an image in which the communicator P1 faces the front, i.e., with his/her eyes meeting with the eyes of the communicator P2, the communicator P1 needs to look up at the camera section. This, however, prevents the communicator P1 from looking at the display section.
In order to eliminate this situation that the eyes of the communicators do not meet, various techniques have been devised.
In Japanese Patent Application Publication (KOKAI) No. 2002-314899 (Patent Reference 1), a technique is disclosed in which an imaging apparatus is disposed on the back of a display device. Also, in Japanese Patent Application Publication (KOKAI) No. H05-199518 (Patent Reference 2), a videophone apparatus is disclosed in which a half mirror is used to allow eyes of communicators to meet each other.